Ephesians 5:31

Isaias was a quiet and reserved teenager. I, on the other hand, was outspoken and loved meeting new people. When I saw him sitting alone on the bleachers in our high school gym, I knew I wanted to introduce myself. We were only fourteen, just starting our freshman year. When I asked for his name, he softly said, “Isaias.” I remember it like it was yesterday. And that was it. We didn’t speak again for an entire year, until God brought us together in our sophomore English class. Up until that moment, we’d lived completely separate lives, with different classes, friends, and memories. But once we reconnected, we quickly became friends. Isaias had this subtle way of flirting. He’d joke around, find excuses to sit near me, ask about homework, or say something funny just to make me smile. I’d roll my eyes, pretending not to notice, but deep down, I knew I was falling for him. It wasn’t long before we both realized we felt the same way. From that point on, we experienced every milestone together: prom, graduation, Sacrament of Confirmation and our unforgettable years at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where we both earned our degrees. UTSA will always hold a special place in our hearts. It’s where we grew up together, learned who we were, and built the foundation of the life we share today. Those years were filled with late-night study sessions, laughter, and moments of struggle and growth. Even in the hardest times, we were at our happiest, because we had each other. And now, as we look toward our future, we can’t wait to build a home that will forever be filled with Roadrunner pride. He is my confidant, my shoulder to cry on, and my greatest source of laughter. Today, we share our lives and our little fur baby, Assassin, our miniature Australian Shepherd, named after Assassin’s Creed, the movie we saw on our very first date when we were teens.. After all these years, he still loves me just as deeply as he did then, and I, him. Sometimes I think back to that fourteen-year-old girl who gleefully introduced herself to the quiet boy on the bleachers, and I can’t help but smile. How could she have known that one day, she’d be marrying him? I cannot wait to stand before God, surrounded by our family and friends, and vow to him that in any lifetime, it will always be him. After all this time? Always.

Destiny was a sweet and outgoing girl from a young age. I remember sitting alone in the high school bleachers, when she approached me and enthusiastically introduced herself and proceeded to ask for my name. I responded with my name and had some small talk, she did most of the talking. The bell rang, our conversation ended and we each went our separate ways. We were both fourteen and in our freshman year of high school. We did not speak again until a year later. We each went about our lives during freshman year, I knew nothing of her and she knew nothing of me, I remember only seeing her a couple of times in the hallways throughout freshman year, it wasn’t until our sophomore year of high school when everything changed. We had our sophomore year English class together. I remember the layout of that classroom perfectly. She sat on the opposite side of the room in the back rows. I noticed her immediately. This time around, it was me who would go up to her. We connected almost immediately, I would joke around with and make her laugh. Eventually we were talking everyday, I would walk her to her classes, and talk to her after school. We began dating shortly after, we experienced everything in each other's lives from that moment forward. Little did I know, she would be the girl that God put in my path to marry. After high school graduation we both attended UTSA. College was filled with both moments of happiness and moments of struggle but it didn’t matter because we had each other. We grew from kids to adults and grew closer together every day. At college, our friends called us the parents of the friend group, we were the only couple and they were amazed by how extremely well we knew each other at such a young age. I was lucky enough to witness every moment that shaped her into the woman she is today, from those late nights studying for finals in college, to her acceptance into law school, and all that she continues to accomplish during law school. She has been there for me every step of the way, through every milestone. Years have passed and it is hard to believe that we have had each other since we were teens, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Words cannot fully express the way I feel about her. Who knew that one moment in our high school gym would shape the rest of our future together. She has been my friend, my girlfriend, my fiance, and I cannot wait to call her my wife.